Rudder and elevator assembly for aeroplanes



pr. 17, 1923. 1,452,096@ y O. T. BELCHER RUDDEIR AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY FOR AEROPLANES Filed Feb. 21 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l O. T. BELCHER RUDDER AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY FOR AEROPLANES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2l, 1922 nim/35%.

'l 7N/@afar v Patented Apr.v 17, 1923.

TTES

OSMOND THERON BELCI-IER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO BELCHER AERIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANQA CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

RUDDER AND ELEVATOR ASSEMBLY FOR AEROPLANES.

Applicationled February 21, 1922.

T all whom t may concern Be it known that I, OsMoND THERON BEL- crrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles andSt'ate of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rudder and Elevator Assemblies for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in 19 rudder and elevator construction for aeroplanes, the objects being to provide a demountable rudder and rudder fin and a divided demountable elevator and elevator fins in order that when an aeroplane provided with the present invention is required to be stored in close quarters or placed in the hold of a ship necessitating the removal of the wings the rudder and fin and the elevator and fins may also 4be easily and quickly removed. j j

llVith reference to the drawings,- j

Fig. 1 is a top view of the framework of an elevator and fins and a rudder and its fin and the tail end of the framework of a fuselage.

Fig. 2 shows in side elevation the same structure as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the tubular members of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a modified form of the tubular members shown in Fig. 3, and

. Fig. 5 shows in enlarged elevation a rudder and its fin demounted from a fuselage.

lMore specifically, the framework of a fuselage comprises longerons 1, 1 and 2, 2 having laminated diaphragme 3 and 4 arld continuous laminated zigzag braces 5,76, 7 0 and 8, the bends of the braces being seated in seat blocks 9, 9. j Cleats 10, 10 and 11, 11 are fixed across the longerons 1, 1 and 2, 2 respectively and act as supports for elevator fins and cleats 12,12 are fixed across from the top longeron 1 to the top longeron 2 and acts as supports for a rudder fin. A right hand elevator fin frame 13 carries strap fittings 14, 14 adapted to fit between strap fittings 15,15 and 16, 16 fixed to the cleats 10, 10, there being pins 17 and 18 removably placed through the strap fittings thus removably holding thezfin to the fuselage framework. A left hand elevator fin frame 19 carries strap fittings 20 and 21 positioned to fit between fittings 22, 22 and Serial No. 538,280.

23, 23 which are fixed upon the cleats 11, 11 there being pins 26 and 27 through the ttings for removably holding the fin to the frame of the fuselage.

Upon the back side of the diaphragm 3 are positioned journals 28 and 29 in which is rotatably mounted a tubular casing 30. The easing 30 carries thrust collars 31 and 32 and double rock arms 34, 34. Within the casing 30 is a plug 35, positively fixed, having a squared central hole (see Fig. A tubular casing 36 of a size that will slide freely into the casing 30 is fitted with a plug having a squared end 37 adapted to fit the square socket of the plug 35.

The casing 36 is provided with slats 38, 38 held by the straps 39, 39 positively-thereto, and forms the framework of the right hand elevator. Upon the casing 36 are also fixed set collars 40, 40 and outwardly from the set collars are strap bearings 41, 41 extending from the fin 13 by which the casing 36 is rotatably held to the fin.

A casing 42, like the casing 36, is provided with a squared end 43adapted to fit into the square hole of the plug 35 and with slats 44, 44 held thereto positively by straps 45, 45 and forms a left hand elevator framework. The casing 42 is also provided with set collars 46, 46 outwardly from which are `strap bearings 47, 47 which rotatably hold the easing to the fin 19.

From the rock arm 34, 34 two sets of control rods 48 and 49 extend forwardly through the fuselage to the drivers position in the aeroplane.

A rudder fin 50 carries strap fitting 51, 51 adapted to set between fittings 52, 52 and 53, 53 mounted upon the cleats 12, 12, there being pins 54 and 55 for removably holding the rudder fin to the fuselage framework.

Two journals 56, 56 are mounted upon the back side of the diaphragm 4 adapted to rotatably carry a tubular easing 57, there being set collars 58 and 59 upon the casing against the bearings and a double rock arm 60 positively mounted thereon. Within the casing 57 is aplug having a square hole like that of the casing 30. A tubular casing 61 `is fitted with slats 62, 62 held positively to the casing by straps 63, 63 and is of such size as will slip easily into the casing 57, there being a squared `end adapted to fit the square hole of the plug within the casing 57. The casing 61 also carries set collars 64, (i4-and outwardly therefrom are two strap bearings 65, which rotatably hold the iin 60 to the casing 61. Two control rods G6, G6 extend from the double rock arm 60v through the fuselage to the drivers seat. On the bottom of the casing 57 is a fiange 67 adapted to carry a spring tail skid 68, the tail skid so mounted being movable with the rudder control mechanism.

The casings 36, 42 and 6l may be provided with wood fillers 69 to act as stiffeners and in such construction the casings may not be extendedy beyond the outer bearings mounted upon the fins, as shown in Fig. 5.

"In Fig. 4 is shown a modified method of constructing the square sockets within the casings 30 and 57 and squares on the ends of the casings 36, 42 and 6l, the method being to press the casings hot in a power press to the proper squared sizes against a squared plug insertedinto the casings, the plug being subsequently removed.

In Fig. 5 is shown a rudder and fin with its casing 61 removed from the fuselage, the covering being broken back slightly along the casing. The covering in this instance is composed of two facing sheets of a simple weave of wood ribbons glued in the lap` of' the warp and weft and spaced by a corrugation of wood ribbonsglued between.

To'disassemble from the fuselage the rudder and its' fin or the right hand elevator and vits fin Vor the left hand elevator and its fin the pins -1'7 and 18 or pins Qfiand 27 or pins 54 and 55 respectively are pulled from the'strap fittings through which they extend and the fin and casing with its movable control surface lifted away.

'The rudder and elevators are held in place withthesquare Shanks of their casingsin the square sockets within the casings 57 and 30 respectively by the straps of the fins bearing against the set collars upon the outwardly extending casings. the fins being held firmly to thefuselage as before set forth.

It is to be understood that other means than that shown may be adapted for rcmovably holding the fins to the fuselage and that many other changes might be made in the construction of the invention as shown without departing from the spirit thereof as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:l i

l. In a rudder and elevator assembly, in combination a fin adapted to be removably fixed to a fuselage framework, a casing rotatably mounted within the tail of the fuselage rearward of and in alignment with the fin, a second casing removably fixed to the first mentioned casing and adapted to rotate therewith and extending outwardly along the rear edge of said fin, bearings rotatably connecting the fin with the casing second above mentioned and a control surface mounted upon said second mentioned casing and extendingr backwardly therefrom.

2. In combination in a rudder and elevator assembly adapted to be mounted upon the tail of a fuselage, a fin removably fixed to one side of the fuselage and in longitudinal alignment therewith. A shaft rotatably mounted within the fuselage rearward of and in alignment with the fin, a second shaft removably fixed to the first mentioned shaft and extending outwardly along the rear edge of the hn, bearings rotatably connecting the second mentioned shaft with the fin, a control surface formed upon said second mentioned shaft and extending backwardly therefrom, a second fin removably fixed to the fuselage in longitudinal alignment therewith and opposite the first mentioned fin, a third shaft removably fixed to said first mentioned shaft and extending outwardly along the rear edge of said second fin, bearings rotatably connecting the third mentioned shaft with the second mentioned fin and a control surface formed l*upon the said third mentioned shaft and extending rearward thereof. r

3. In a rudder and elevator assembly adapted to be mounted upon the tail end of a fuselage, in combination, a fin removably fixed to the fuselage framework, a tubular shaft rotatably mounted within the fuselage at the rear end of and in alignment with the iin, thrust collars upon the tubular shaft, a second tubular shaft removably Isocketed in and adapted to rotate with the first mentioned shaft and extending outwardly along the rear edge of said fin, bearings rotatably connecting the fin with said second shaft, means for preventing the unsocketing of said second shaft and a rudder surface formed upon and extending backwardly from the said second shaft.

4. In combination in a rudder assembly adapted to be mounted 'on the tail end of a fuselage, a rudder fin removably fixed to and in longitudinal alignment with the fuselage, a @tubular casing rotatably mounted within the fuselage at the rear end of and in alignment with the fin, a second tubular casing removably socketed within the first mentioned casing and extending outwardly along the rear edge of'the fin, bearings extending from the fin and rotatably surrounding the second mentioned casing, Vmeans for preventing the unsocketing of the second mentioned casing from the first mentioned casing, a rudder surface formed upon the second mentioned casing and extending backwardly therefrom and a spring tail skid member positively fixed to the lower end of said first mentioned casing.

5. In a rudder and elevator assembly adapted to be mounted upon the tail end of a fuse lage, in combination, a fin having fasteners upon its inner edge, fasteners fixed upon the fuselage adapted to match the fasteners of the fin, means for'removably connecting the fasteners of the fin to the fasteners of the fuselage, bearings mounted Within the fuselage at the rear end of and in Vertical alignment with the lin, a tubular shaft rotatably mounted in said bearings and having a socket connection for` an extension thereto, thrust collars set upon said shaft against said bearings, a tubular casing removably connected with said shaft by said socket connection and extending outwardly along the rear edge of the fin, bearings extending from the rear edge of the fin and adapted to rotatably carry the casing, set collars upon the casing against the inner sides of the bearing second above mentioned, a Control surface` formed upon the easing and extending baekwardly therefrom, rock arms upon the tubular shaft and control rods connected with the rock arms for rotating the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

OSMOND THERON BELCHER. 

